Grade 10 Music Q1 Ep2: Expressionism
Summary
TLDRIn this educational video, Teacher Jen guides students through the 20th-century music, contrasting Impressionism and Expressionism. Impressionism is characterized by color, atmosphere, and whole-tone scales, focusing on mood rather than reality. Expressionism, emerging from anxiety before WWI, is marked by intense emotions, dissonance, and atonality. Composers like Arnold Schoenberg, known for the 12-tone system, and Igor Stravinsky, with his rhythmic inventiveness, are highlighted. The lesson encourages students to explore their unique talents and express themselves boldly.
Takeaways
- πΌ Impressionism in music emphasizes color and mood through orchestration and the use of whole tone scales, focusing on creating an atmosphere rather than depicting reality.
- πΉ Expressionism in music emerged as a reaction against impressionism, often featuring intense emotional expression, fantasy, violence, anxiety, and a loss of authenticity and spirituality.
- π The feeling of being in quarantine can be related to the emotional depth explored in expressionist music, which reflects the psychological experiences and feelings of the composers.
- π» Music in horror and science fiction films is often influenced by expressionism, characterized by its vivid and distorted soundscapes.
- π΅ Expressionism in music is marked by the use of dissonance, lack of tonality, extreme dynamic contrasts, changing textures, and distorted melodies and harmonies.
- π To identify expressionist music, listen for its unstable sounds, indicative of dissonance, which is a key feature of the movement.
- πΌ Arnold Schoenberg was a key figure in expressionism, known for his atonal music and the establishment of the 12-tone system, which aimed to give equal importance to all notes in the chromatic scale.
- π΅ Igor Stravinsky, another important expressionist composer, was known for his innovative rhythmic techniques and contributions to various musical genres, including ballets and orchestral music.
- π Both Schoenberg and Stravinsky created complex and demanding music that pushed the boundaries of traditional composition, inspiring future musicians to explore new musical avenues.
- π The contrast between impressionism and expressionism can be identified through their focus on different aspects of musicβimpressionism on mood and atmosphere, and expressionism on emotional intensity and subconscious exploration.
- π‘ The script encourages young learners to express themselves through their unique talents and abilities, just as expressionist composers did, emphasizing the importance of sharing one's gifts with the world.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the lesson presented by Teacher Jen?
-The main theme of the lesson is exploring the history of 20th-century music, specifically focusing on the Impressionist and Expressionist movements.
What is Impressionism in music?
-Impressionism in music is characterized by the use of color and orchestration, whole tone scales, and an emphasis on mood and atmosphere rather than depicting physical reality.
How is the whole tone scale used in Impressionist music?
-The whole tone scale is used by Claude Debussy in many of his compositions, where each note is separated from the next by the interval of a whole tone or whole step.
What is Expressionism in music, and how does it differ from Impressionism?
-Expressionism in music is a reaction against Impressionism, often including themes of fantasy, violence, anxiety, and loss of authenticity and spirituality. It is characterized by intense emotional expression and the exploration of the subconscious mind.
How does Expressionist music reflect the historical context in which it was created?
-Expressionism emerged as a response to widespread anxiety before and between the two major European wars, reflecting the turmoil of the times through the expression of psychological experiences and feelings.
What are some characteristics of Expressionist music?
-Expressionist music often features dissonance, extreme contrast of dynamics, constantly changing textures, and distorted melodies and harmonies.
Who is Arnold Schoenberg, and what is his contribution to music?
-Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer who played a key role in Expressionism. He is known for establishing the 12-tone system, a method of composing music that ensures all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are used equally.
What is the significance of the 12-tone system in music composition?
-The 12-tone system is significant as it allows for the equal use of all 12 notes in the chromatic scale, preventing the emphasis on any one note and creating a new approach to tonality.
Who is Igor Stravinsky, and what is his contribution to Expressionist music?
-Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer known for his innovative use of rhythm and orchestration. He contributed to Expressionist music with his unique techniques and exploration of new musical styles.
How can one identify a piece of music as Expressionist?
-A piece of music can be identified as Expressionist by its high level of dissonance, extreme dynamic contrasts, changing textures, and the lack of a tonal center or key.
What message does Teacher Jen convey to the students at the end of the lesson?
-Teacher Jen encourages students to express themselves, share their unique talents and abilities, and not to be afraid to show and share them with the world, as they could inspire others.
Outlines
π΅ Introduction to 20th Century Music Styles
In this introductory segment, Teacher Jen welcomes students to a lesson on the history of 20th-century music, focusing on Impressionism and Expressionism. The lesson starts with a brief review of Impressionism, highlighting its emphasis on color, orchestration, and the use of whole tone scales by Claude Debussy. It then contrasts Impressionism with Expressionism, which is characterized by its emotional intensity, use of fantasy, and exploration of the subconscious mind. Expressionism is described as a reaction to the anxiety and turmoil of the pre-World War I era and the interwar period, with examples from horror and science fiction movies to illustrate its influence.
πΌ Expressionism in Music and Its Features
This paragraph delves into the characteristics of Expressionist music, using Arnold Schoenberg's 'A Survivor from Warsaw' as an example. It discusses the instability and dissonance in Expressionist compositions, which often lack a tonal center, creating a sense of unease. The dynamics of Expressionist music are described as having extreme contrasts, with shifts from pianissimo to fortissimo. The texture is noted for its constant change, and the melodies are distorted, reflecting the composers' feelings rather than pleasing the listener. The paragraph introduces Arnold Schoenberg as a key figure in the movement, known for his development of the 12-tone system and his evolving tonal preferences.
πΆ Key Composers of Expressionism and Their Contributions
The third paragraph focuses on the significant contributions of Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky to Expressionist music. Schoenberg's complex and demanding music is highlighted, along with his establishment of the 12-tone system, which aimed to give equal importance to all notes in the chromatic scale. Stravinsky's innovative approach to rhythm and orchestration is noted, with his 'The Firebird' suite as an example of his work. The paragraph also mentions the importance of these composers in inspiring future musicians to explore new musical territories.
π Recap and Preview of Upcoming Music Styles
In the concluding segment, Teacher Jen recaps the key points of the lesson, summarizing the main features of Expressionist music and its focus on emotional expression over reality depiction. The 12-tone system and the role of dissonance, dynamic contrast, texture variation, and distorted melodies are reiterated. The lesson ends with a motivational message encouraging students to express their unique talents and abilities, just as the Expressionist composers did. Lastly, a preview of the next lesson, which will explore new musical styles from the 20th century, is given, inviting students to stay tuned.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Impressionism
π‘Color
π‘Whole Tone Scale
π‘Expressionism
π‘Dissonance
π‘Atonality
π‘Dynamics
π‘Texture
π‘Arnold Schoenberg
π‘Igor Stravinsky
Highlights
Introduction to the history of 20th century music with a focus on Impressionism and Expressionism.
Impressionism in music characterized by the use of color and orchestration, and the whole tone scale.
Impressionist music's emphasis on mood and atmosphere rather than literal description.
Expressionism as a reaction against Impressionism, featuring themes of fantasy, violence, and anxiety.
The connection between quarantine experiences and Expressionist themes of emotional turmoil.
Expressionism's origin in visual and literary arts before its application to music in 1918.
Expressionist music's exploration of subconscious mind and intense emotional expression.
Historical context of Expressionism emerging before and between the two World Wars.
Identification of Expressionist music through features like dissonance and lack of tonal center.
Arnold Schoenberg's 'A Survivor from Warsaw' as an example of Expressionist music.
Dissonance in music exemplified by the sound of a cat walking on a piano.
The 12-tone system established by Schoenberg for equal emphasis on all chromatic scale notes.
Igor Stravinsky's contributions to Expressionism and his diverse musical compositions.
Expressionist music's characteristics of extreme dynamic contrasts and changing textures.
The distorted melodies and harmonies in Expressionist music as a reflection of composers' feelings.
Encouragement for youth to express themselves and share their unique talents, inspired by Expressionist composers.
Anticipation for the next lesson exploring new 20th-century music styles.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello dear students
it's a fun filled day of learning here
in music
at inspiration
this is a place where you are welcome to
join me in exploring the interesting
history of music
and be inspired as we learn and listen
to the melodies of the past
this is teacher jen your guide in
discovering the wonderful world
of 20th century music
in our previous lesson we were
introduced to the first
movement which marked the beginning of
the 20th century style of writing music
can you remember what it is
[Music]
correct we talked about impressionism
as a short recall let's see if you can
choose the right words that describe
the features of impressionist music
you have 10 seconds to choose the
correct words
these are the choices
[Music]
have you picked the right words if you
pick the word color
correct the use of color or tumbler
is the most distinctive feature of
impressionist music
it is achieved by giving emphasis on
orchestration
what other words have you picked
if you pick the word whole tone scale
correct
the whole tone scale was used by claude
wc
in most of his compositions where each
note is separated
from the next by the interval of a whole
tone or whole step
another correct word is atmosphere
impressionist music focused on mood and
atmosphere
the composer's style in creating music
merely suggests
or evokes something without actually
describing
it while impressionism focused on the
real world
another movement which is expressionism
emerged
in reaction against the impressionism
subjects in expressionism often include
fantasy violence anxiety
and loss of authenticity and
spirituality
how would you describe the feeling of
being in quarantine
for more than half a year now
what have you been doing what keeps you
entertained
movies maybe did you know that the music
we usually hear in some of the horror or
science fiction movies
were greatly influenced by the movement
expressionism
the term expressionism was originally
used
in visual and literary arts and was
first applied to music
in 1918. it is considered
as a reaction to impressionism
in this movement artists created vivid
pictures
distorting colors and shapes to make
unrealistic images that suggested strong
emotions at the same time expressionist
composers
poured intense emotional expression
into their music and explored the
subconscious mind what do we mean by
exploring the subconscious mind through
music
for you to better understand this let's
go back in time
to know the situation when expressionism
took place
expressionism is a movement that emerged
simultaneously
in various cities across germany as a
response to a widespread
anxiety it took place before world war
one and extended to the period between
the two
major european wars
so imagine the turmoil brought about by
the events
during these times it was one of the
reasons
why expressionist artists sought to
express
psychological experiences and feelings
rather than physical facts feeling of
anger rage
sorrow and depression
these feelings were clearly reflected on
the musical works
of expressionist composers
how can we tell if a piece of music
falls
under expressionism
listen to the music titled a survivor
from warsaw opus 46 by arnold schoenberg
and try to analyze it based on your own
feeling
about it
[Music]
a survivor from warsaw opus 46
is a cantata by arnold schoenberg
written
in 1947 as a tribute to holocaust
victims
what can you say about the music is the
sound
stable or unstable
clearly we could say that the sound is
unstable
in music the quality of sounds that
seems
unstable is called dissonance
have you ever heard the sound a cat
makes when it lands on a piano keyboard
how would you react
that is an example of what dissonance
sounds like
and this is one of the features of
expressionism
the composers achieved this by writing
music
whose key characteristics involved
dissonant harmonies
so much so that it is often very
difficult to identify
what key their pieces are in
this is labeled as a tonal
music which lacks key or a tonal
center almost all of the songs that we
know today
has a key or tonal center which makes
the song very pleasing to the ear
can you name some songs that for you are
pleasing
to the ear expressionist music however
is the opposite because of a tonality
this is the key characteristic to
remember with expressionist music
how about the dynamics or the loudness
and softness of the music
is it consistently soft or consistently
loud
or does it change from time to time
it is very evident that there is an
extreme contrast
of dynamics in music
there are parts playing from pianissimo
to fortissimo
meaning very soft to very loud
or the other way around from very loud
to very soft
another feature of expressionist music
is the constant changing of textures
texture in music determines the overall
quality of the sound in a piece
and the texture in expressionist music
frequently changes
throughout the world
how about the melody of the music
do you think you can just sing along to
it
probably not it's because expressionism
music
has distorted melodies and harmonies
the composers experimented with melodies
that would reflect
their own feelings rather than what is
pleasing to the listener
now let's talk about the composers who
played key roles in this movement
our first composer for expressionism is
arnold schoenberg
arnold schoenberg was born on september
13
1874 in a working-class suburb
of vienna austria he taught himself
music theory
but took lessons in counterpoint
schoenberg's style in music
changed from time to time his tonal
preference
gradually evolved to something dissonant
and atonal as he explored the use
of chromatic harmonies
he was responsible for the establishment
of the 12-tone system
the 12-tone system is a method of
writing music
as a means of ensuring that all 12 notes
of the chromatic scale
sounded as equally with one another
while preventing the emphasis of any one
note
arnold schoenberg's works include the
following
piano lunaire
another masterpiece of schoenberg is
three pieces for piano
opus 11 and violin concerto
[Music]
although full of melodic and lyrical
interest
his music was also extremely complex
creating heavy demands on the listener
schoenberg died on july 13 1951
in los angeles california usa where he
had settled since 1934.
another important expressionist composer
is igor
stravinsky born in russia on june 17
1882 in his first notable composition
the firebird suite his skillful handling
of material
and rhythmic inventiveness went beyond
anything written by his russian
predecessors he added a new ingredient
to his nationalistic musical style
stravinsky wrote approximately 127
pieces including concerti orchestral
music
instrumental music operas ballets
solo vocal and choral music
he died in new york city on april 6
1971. the works of these composers
may seem unconventional but they have
inspired
a lot of succeeding musicians to explore
new ways of writing music
now that you know about the music of
impressionism and expressionism
let's see how familiar you are with this
first two contrasting styles of the 20th
century
identify if what is being described is
impressionism or
expressionism number one
it is a movement that centered on nature
and its beauty abandoning the romantic
movement
the correct answer is impressionism
number two music of this movement has a
high level
of dissonance
the correct answer is expressionism
number three composers of this movement
poured intense emotional expression into
their music
and explore the subconscious mind
expressionism is the correct answer
number four music of this movement had
the mysterious
atmosphere
the answer is impressionism
lastly the key characteristic feature of
this movement
is a tonality or lack of central key
the correct answer is expressionism
let's have a recap of what we have
discussed today
remember that expressionism in music
centered on emotional expression
rather than depicting reality
expressionist music often features a
high level of dissonance
extreme contrast of dynamics constant
changing of textures
and distorted melodies and harmonies
arnold schoenberg established the
12-tone system
in writing music igor stravinsky
was known for adding new techniques in
his music
the movement expressionism did not last
in especially long time and started to
fade out
as its artists and writers aged did you
know that expressionism has been
described
as a movement of young people
it was a time when artists bravely
experimented
with arts and music as their way of
expressing themselves
as a youth how are you expressing
yourself
your feelings do you have a special
skill or talent the most important
question
is are you sharing it to others
remember that you are unique and gifted
with talents and abilities
you have to discover them and just like
the expressionist composers
don't be afraid to show it and share it
to the world
because you'll never know you could also
be an inspiration to others as well
and that concludes our lesson for today
i hope you had fun while learning
brace yourselves because in our next
lesson
we are going back in time again where we
can now dance to the groove
of new styles of music that emerged
during the 20th century you'll find out
more about it
in our next episode so stay tuned
once again this is teacher jen your
guide in discovering the wonderful world
of 20th century music
[Music]
you
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)